1. Field of the Description
The present description relates, in general, to theatrical and other visual special effect devices used to provide lighting-based illusions or displays and, more particularly, to a special effects system (or light-based display system) adapted to provide linear streaks, bolts, or elongated balls light, e.g., an illusion that a theatrical prop such as a futuristic laser-based weapon has fired a laser blast or the like, and the output of the special effects system is 360-degree viewable.
2. Relevant Background
In the entertainment industry, there are many settings or venues where it is desirable to recreate scenes from popular movies often with live actors performing a scene from a movie. An often used lighting effect in movies is a streak or flash of light from various sources. For example, many futuristic movies include battles where the actors operate laser-based props, e.g., blaster gun props, which produce laser blasts. The laser blast beams in the movie travel through the air and may have the appearance of a volumetric ball or slug of light, which may be red, green, blue, or another color, that travels from the actor's weapon prop through the air in a line to its target.
To create such a scene in a movie, post-production computer graphics and other techniques are used to easily achieve the laser-blast effect inserting streaks of light after filming is completed. However, it has been problematic to create a similar effect in theatrical settings in real time or during a live production. This is especially troublesome because it is often desirable for the effect to be viewable in 360 degrees or from a wide range of viewing angles, such as both sides of a stage or set where actors are performing a movie-based scene. Further, the reproduced scene should look like the scene in the film.
Existing special effects and display systems have not been wholly successful at providing desired lighting-based illusions involving streaks, flashes, or balls of volumetric light appearing in air. One conventional technique is project imagery onto a flat screen or wall positioned between the actor and their weapon prop and the target. Another special effects technique is to provide a Pepper's Ghost assembly on the set or in the display space. Neither of these solutions provides 360-degree viewing of the special effect, e.g., the use of a stationary projection screen or wall can only be viewed from one side. Also, projection on a wall appears flat and does not provide the desired volume to the “ball” or “slug” of light being fired from the prop weapon (or providing a similar effect). Pepper's Ghost assemblies are limited to use in corridors and enclosed spaces with a very limited viewing angle.
As will be understood, neither of these special effects approaches is useful for creating the desired streak of light that can be viewable from all directions, appears to be volumetric, and creates the illusion in midair. There remains a need for a new special effects system that overcomes the problems with prior devices and is useful in a wide variety of settings.